Tempted to plant early? Watch out for April freeze

Tuesday

CHAMPAIGN -- Temperatures in March broke thousands of records in the Midwest, but farmers and gardeners may still want to be cautious about planting early.

CHAMPAIGN -- Temperatures in March broke thousands of records in the Midwest, but farmers and gardeners may still want to be cautious about planting early.

Experts at the Midwestern Regional Climate Center in Champaign say the possibility of a freeze in April remains high. A freeze would put early seedlings and plants at risk.

It's a guessing game trying to predict the date of the last spring freeze. There's still a possibility for a 32-degree freeze to occur, or even a 28-degree "hard" freeze, which could kill plants.

The climate center says more than 5,000 daily high temperature records have been set or tied this month. Some of the records were broken by 15 to 20 degrees. Much of the Midwest is on track to see the warmest March on record.

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